


Teach Me

by AtropaAzraelle (Polyoxyethylene)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Dance lesson, M/M, brotherhood era, mild flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 09:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14209902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyoxyethylene/pseuds/AtropaAzraelle
Summary: “I don't believe you,” Ignis said. His tone was as flat as his expression, and Gladio squirmed uncomfortably in the face of heavy scepticism.“I'm serious,” he protested.Ignis folded his arms. “You're the eldest son of one of the most important noble families in Lucis, Gladio.”“Iknow,” Gladio groaned, sinking down onto the bench and letting his head hang. “So everyone's gonna expect me to, and I can't.”





	Teach Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [waywardmelody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardmelody/gifts).



> Written for WaywardMelody, because I love you, and I hope things get better for you soon <3

“I don't believe you,” Ignis said. His tone was as flat as his expression, and Gladio squirmed uncomfortably in the face of heavy scepticism.

“I'm serious,” he protested.

Ignis folded his arms. “You're the eldest son of one of the most important noble families in Lucis, Gladio.”

“I _know_ ,” Gladio groaned, sinking down onto the bench and letting his head hang. “So everyone's gonna expect me to, and I can't.”

Silence blossomed, leaving Gladio to wallow in his own misery before Ignis broke it. His tone had changed completely. “You really don't know how to dance?” he asked, surprise and what might have been pity rushing into the space left by adamant disbelief.

Gladio shook his head. The most dancing he'd ever done had been turning in a slow circle with Iris balanced on his toes. Now that Noct's sixteenth was coming up, there was a ball to contend with, and Gladio knew he wouldn't get away with lurking on the sidelines the whole time.

“Well then,” Ignis said, and Gladio looked up at the sound of silk sliding over cotton as Ignis shucked his jacket from his shoulders, “there's only one thing for it.”

Gladio stared at Ignis as he folded his jacket and placed it neatly on the bench next to Gladio. He stood, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves up to his elbows as if he was about to get his hands in a mixing bowl, and then offered his hand out to Gladio. “Uh,” he said, staring at Iggy's outstretched palm and following the line of it up, over the black waistcoat that showed off the trim lines of Iggy's waist and shoulders, and up to his face, and the coquettishly raised eyebrow peeking from behind his glasses frames.

“A simple waltz should get you through,” Ignis said, and Gladio saw the flash of a smirk before he added, “ _or_ you can swallow your pride and hire a dancing instructor.”

Gladio looked down at himself. His sleeveless top and jogging bottoms didn't exactly lend themselves to this sort of practice. He'd come to get some time in sparring with Ignis, not dancing with him. “You sure?” he asked, looking back up at Ignis.

Iggy's eyes flickered down, taking in Gladio's attire, and then he looked back to Gladio's face and the smile he shot Gladio was so warm it sent a tingle up Gladio's spine. “Quite sure.”

Gladio gave an unhappy murmur, still unsure of the whole idea, but he stood anyway, and took Iggy's hand. Iggy quickly responded by tugging him away from the bench, and then stepping in close. “You'll be expected to lead,” he said, taking Gladio's left hand by the wrist and guiding it to his own waist. Gladio watched, entranced, and felt another ripple along his skin as the hairs stood on end when Ignis stepped in closer again, and flattened Gladio's hand against the small of his back. “I'm not much of a follower,” he said, and Gladio found himself looking down, directly into amused green eyes, “but I'll make an exception for you.”

Ignis's hand landing on Gladio's shoulder felt hot, the warmth from Ignis's skin radiating through Gladio's shoulder and up his neck, and down his chest. Ignis clasped Gladio's right hand, turning them slightly so that his own was slightly atop Gladio's. Gladio swallowed, unable to take his eyes off Ignis, and the light of faint mischief that was sparkling behind his glasses. He'd seen that look before, usually when Ignis was colluding with him to prod Noct into doing something for his own good. Seeing that look turned on himself sent shivers through Gladio's nerves.

“Now,” Ignis said, “on the count of three, move your left leg forward one step.”

Gladio looked down towards his feet, waiting for the count, and he felt Ignis shift in his arms, moving back into Gladio's line of sight with purpose. “One, two, _three_ ,” Ignis counted. Gladio moved his left leg forward, finding himself moving in towards Ignis as he did, or he would have done, if Ignis hadn't moved his right leg back at the same time. “Now bring your right level, and shoulder-width apart,” he instructed.

Gladio did that too, and felt Ignis move with him in his arms. It didn't help the hot feeling that was spreading through his skin one bit, and Gladio had to fight to keep his eyes locked on Ignis's instead of looking anywhere but at him. It was a fight that got harder when Ignis smiled up at him. “That it?” he asked, feeling his face and neck burning.

“Hardly,” Ignis replied. “Now move your left foot to meet your right.” Gladio did, feeling the gentle sway of Iggy's hip as he moved to match the step, moving his right foot to his left. “Very good. Next, move your right foot forward, and then bring your left parallel, but not together.”

Gladio glanced down as he did. Iggy's chest was less than a hand's width from his own, but he could feel his body heat radiating outwards, and Gladio found himself hyperaware of everywhere they touched. His hand on the back of Iggy's hip, and Iggy's bare hand resting in his own, and his other hand resting on Gladio's shoulder felt like so much more intimate contact than it really was.

“Keep your eyes on me,” Ignis said, gently, but firmly, “not on your feet.”

“Sorry,” Gladio said, forcing himself to look up at Iggy's face again. That smile hadn't gone away, nor had that glint in Iggy's eye.

“Now bring your right foot to meet your left,” he said.

Gladio inhaled, and did just that, feeling a surge of relief when Ignis gave him a nod. “Is that it?” he asked.

“That's the basic box step,” Ignis confirmed, stepping back slightly. Gladio let his hand slip from its position in Iggy's waist with more reluctance than he'd like to admit. “It should be enough to get you through the night.”

Gladio gave a nod, and then found Ignis's hand starting to slip from his own. He steeled himself, and asked, “Can we keep going until I'm sure I've got it?” Ignis looked up into his eyes, that glimmer of mischief fading slightly and being replaced with a faint tinge of pink to his skin when Gladio closed the distance between them again and settled his hand back on Iggy's hip.

It took a moment, one that seemed to hang, frozen for whole seconds that ticked by in hours before Ignis answered, “Of course.”


End file.
